Things to Do in Port Stephens

Things to do in Port Stephens

1. Take a dolphin cruise from Nelson Bay

This is the one thing nearly every visitor does. Somewhere between 90 and 120 bottlenose dolphins live in Port Stephens all year, according to a 2011 NSW Government visitor guide, and the cruises leave d’Albora Marina in Nelson Bay daily. The standard trip is 90 minutes. Dolphins turned up in all four cruise accounts we watched, from NOMADasaurus in summer to The Roving Balys in winter (parts of their trip were complimentary).

Two companies run most of the trips from Dock C. Moonshadow TQC uses big catamarans with a bar and toilets. Imagine Cruises sails, and lists a dolphin guarantee on its 90-minute trip. Both list a boom net, a net you ride in behind the boat, when the sea allows.

We compare every cruise and the day trips on our page of Port Stephens tours from Sydney.

2. Watch humpbacks from May to November

Whale season in Port Stephens runs from May to November, according to Port Stephens Tourism. Humpbacks head north from May to July, often breaching, and come back south with newborn calves from September to November. A 2.5 to 3 hour cruise goes out past the heads to find them.

You don’t have to pay to see one. Tomaree Head, Barry Park Lookout at Fingal Bay, Boat Harbour headland and Birubi Point are all named as land-based lookouts by Port Stephens Tourism. Bring binoculars, as NSW National Parks suggests. Farm to Travel watched from Gan Gan Lookout.

On the water, Moonshadow’s whale cruise offers another date or a full refund if sea conditions cancel it. Wrap up, because The Roving Balys and Jm Banquicio both found the open deck cold in winter.

3. Climb Tomaree Head

Tomaree Head rises 161 metres above the entrance to Port Stephens, and the summit walk is the best free view in the area. NSW National Parks lists it as 2.2 km return, 1.5 to 2 hours and grade 5, the hardest grade, because of the steep sections. Paved parts get slippery when wet.

At the top are two viewing platforms looking over the bay, the islands and Shoal Bay. The Roving Balys took about 25 minutes to get up. On the way down, the Fort Tomaree walk passes gun emplacements built in 1941 as part of Australia’s east coast defences in the Second World War.

It doubles as a whale lookout from May to November, and NSW National Parks suggests bringing binoculars.

4. Sandboard the Stockton Sand Dunes

The Stockton dunes run for more than 30 km along the coast south of Anna Bay, and NSW National Parks calls them the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. They sit within the Worimi Conservation Lands, owned and co-managed by the Worimi people with NSW National Parks.

You can’t drive onto the sand without a 4WD and a beach vehicle permit, so most people take a tour. A 4WD picks you up near Anna Bay, drives you in, and hands you a board. All three travellers we watched on the dunes said the ride down is fast and the walk back up is exhausting. Kimberley-Ann called the climb “an absolute nightmare”.

The sand gets hot in summer (Farm to Travel) and is cool enough for bare feet in winter (The Roving Balys). The Roving Balys also say filming isn’t allowed on parts of the dunes because it’s a cultural heritage site.

5. Visit the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

The council-run sanctuary at One Mile opened in September 2020 and includes a hospital for sick, injured and orphaned koalas. Visitors walk a loop of about 1 km, with a raised boardwalk through the trees called the SKYwalk, and The Roving Balys watched koalas in care through a viewing window into the hospital. Tiqets lists it as open daily from 9am to 5pm, with the boardwalk closing at 4pm.

The Roving Balys counted 11 koalas in the public enclosures on their visit, with more in rehabilitation. The sanctuary also has glamping and a cafe. Jm Banquicio’s tour guide linked the falling koala numbers to the 2019 bushfires; that’s the guide’s claim, not one we’ve checked.

Entry is included on the coach day trips from Sydney.

6. Drive up Gan Gan Hill Lookout

At 160 metres, Gan Gan Hill is the highest lookout in Port Stephens, and you can drive almost to the top along Lily Hill Road, just off the main road into Nelson Bay. The view takes in the whole bay, Newcastle to the south, the Myall Lakes to the north and the Stockton dunes.

Port Stephens Tourism says the viewing platforms are wheelchair accessible, reached by a short, flat concrete path. That makes it the easiest high view in the area for anyone who can’t do the Tomaree climb. Farm to Travel and NOMADasaurus both stopped here. Gymea lilies grow on the hill.

7. Swim at Fingal Bay, and see Fingal Island the safe way

Fingal Bay has a lifeguard-patrolled beach in Tomaree National Park. Bucket List Travellers note wheelchair access to the sand. Across the water is Fingal Island and the Point Stephens lighthouse.

The sand spit to the island is the one warning on this page. NSW National Parks calls it extremely dangerous, says people have drowned crossing it, and tells visitors not to cross if any water is over the sandbar. Tides and deep channels can cover it even when the sea looks calm. Farm to Travel and Bucket List Travellers both warn against it too.

The safe way across, according to NSW National Parks, is by boat or on an organised tour. It names Aquamarine Adventures’ Fingal Island Eco Walk and Lighthouse Tour.

8. Spend a slow afternoon on the bay beaches

Inside the bay the water is calmer than on the ocean beaches, which suits families. Shoal Bay sits under Tomaree Head and is the start of the summit walk. Bucket List Travellers also list Dutchmans Beach, Corlette and Bagnalls Beach, which they mark as the dog beach.

On the ocean side, NOMADasaurus recommend Zenith Beach for sunrise, and Box Beach is listed by NSW National Parks as a surf spot. NSW National Parks lists Fingal Bay as the patrolled beach in Tomaree, so swim there, between the flags, if you’re not a strong swimmer.

9. Snorkel on a cruise

The water around the islands is clear enough to snorkel, and one cruise combines it with dolphin watching. Imagine’s Marine Discovery trip looks for dolphins in the bay first, then anchors at an island for a swim, with a guide in the water. Gear, wetsuits and towels are included, and the trip runs about 3.5 hours.

You need to be able to swim to get in, the listing says. Getting in is optional, so a non-swimmer can stay on board for the dolphins.

10. Get in the water with rays at Irukandji

Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, at 2 Jessie Road in Anna Bay, lets you wade into shallow pools with rays. Upgraded snorkel and encounter experiences come with a wetsuit. Port Stephens Tourism says entry is valid all day, most people stay at least two hours, and it often sells out in school holidays, so book ahead.

It’s pram and wheelchair friendly, with free parking. Pair it with the dunes, since both are in Anna Bay.

11. See the jets at Fighter World

Fighter World is the RAAF Williamtown Aviation Heritage Centre, on the air base at 49 Medowie Road, Williamtown. It’s open every day except Christmas Day from 10am to 4pm, according to the Royal Australian Air Force, and the displays fill two hangars with more than 15 aircraft, from a Sopwith Camel to an F/A-18 Hornet. You can sit in a Mirage cockpit.

The Roving Balys stopped here on their trip. It’s on the way in from Sydney and Newcastle Airport, which makes it an easy first or last stop.

12. Walk part of the Tomaree Coastal Walk

The Tomaree Coastal Walk links 27 km of tracks from Tomaree Head south to Birubi Beach, according to NSW National Parks. Few people do it all in one go. Shorter stretches link Shoal Bay, Zenith, Wreck and Box beaches and Fingal Bay, so you can walk one section and come back.

Bucket List Travellers and The Roving Balys both mention it. Check the NSW National Parks alerts first, because parts of the park close in bad weather or high fire danger.

Things to do in Nelson Bay

Nelson Bay is where most visitors base themselves, and where every cruise starts. The town wraps around d’Albora Marina, so the boats, the cafes and the waterfront walk sit within a few minutes of each other on foot.

• The marina. All the dolphin and whale cruises board from Dock C. Port Stephens Tourism points to a self-guided Whale Explorer Map along the waterfront at d’Albora, which makes a free short walk even if you’re not taking a boat.
• Pelicans. NOMADasaurus filmed pelicans around the marina.
• Nelson Head. Farm to Travel stopped at the lighthouse cafe on Nelson Head for the view back over the bay.
• Bakeries and lunch. Bucket List Travellers name Two Bobs Bakery. Jm Banquicio’s day-trip group ate fish and chips on the marina, since lunch isn’t included on the coach tours.
• Gan Gan Hill. The highest lookout in Port Stephens is on Lily Hill Road, on the way into town.
• Little Beach and Shoal Bay. Both are a short drive east, with calm water inside the bay.

If you arrive without a car, Nelson Bay is the place to stay: the cruises and cafes are walkable, and Bucket List Travellers came in on the bus that runs between Nelson Bay and Fingal Bay.

Free things to do in Port Stephens

Most of what people come for is free. Only the cruises, the dune tours and the attractions cost money.

• Tomaree Head Summit Walk. 2.2 km return, steep, with the best view in Port Stephens. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Whale watching from land, May to November. Tomaree Head, Barry Park Lookout at Fingal Bay, Boat Harbour headland and Birubi Point, per Port Stephens Tourism.
• Dolphins from the shore. The NSW Government dolphin guide says you’re likely to see them around Nelson Bay at any time of year. A boat gets you closer, but the shore costs nothing.
• Gan Gan Hill Lookout. Drive up, park, and walk a short flat path to the platforms.
• The beaches. Fingal Bay is patrolled. Shoal Bay, Dutchmans and Little Beach have calmer water inside the bay.
• The Whale Explorer Map at d’Albora Marina. A self-guided waterfront walk in Nelson Bay.
• Fort Tomaree gun emplacements. On the way down from Tomaree Head.

What isn’t free: driving onto the Stockton dunes needs a 4WD and a Worimi beach vehicle permit, which is why most people pay for a tour. Annual NSW National Park passes don’t cover it.

Things to do in Port Stephens with kids

Port Stephens works well with children because the big things are short. A dolphin cruise is 90 minutes, the dune tours are an hour or two, and the beaches inside the bay are calm.

• A dolphin cruise with a boom net. Children have to be with an adult on Moonshadow boats, and kids get a child rate on most cruises. Prams aren’t allowed on Moonshadow; collapsible strollers can go in the main cabin. Imagine’s boats are listed as stroller accessible.
• The koala sanctuary. A 1 km loop on accessible paths, with the raised SKYwalk. It’s a good first stop for younger kids, and easy to leave when they’ve had enough.
• Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters. Port Stephens Tourism describes it as suitable for small children, with pram-friendly paths. Book ahead in school holidays.
• Sandboarding, for older kids. The listings need children to be with an adult and ask for moderate fitness. No minimum age is set, but the climb back up is steep, so it suits children who can manage that on their own legs.
• Fingal Bay. The patrolled beach for a swim between the flags.
• Fighter World. Two hangars of aircraft, with cockpits to sit in and a flight simulator.

With a toddler, skip the coach day trip from Sydney. It runs about 12 hours with roughly 6 on the road, and infants have to sit on a lap.

Things to do in Port Stephens when it rains

Rain doesn’t stop everything. Moonshadow’s dolphin cruise runs in all weather, its listing says, and Jm Banquicio’s boat had an enclosed lower deck with a bar. Bad sea conditions are different: those can cancel a whale cruise, and Moonshadow then offers another date or a full refund.

For a properly wet day:

• Fighter World at Williamtown. Indoors across two hangars, open 10am to 4pm every day except Christmas Day.
• The koala sanctuary. Mostly outdoors, but the cafe and the hospital viewing window give you somewhere dry.
• A long lunch in Nelson Bay, then a look at the marina once it clears.

Avoid the dunes in heavy weather. A reviewer on the Unlimited Sandboarding listing complained about a refused refund after flooding, and NSW National Parks can close the Worimi lands in poor weather. Avoid the Fingal Spit at all times.

Getting there, getting around, when to go and how long to stay

Getting there. Port Stephens is about a 2.5 hour drive north of Sydney, the figure Visit NSW gives and three self-drive videos repeat. Newcastle Airport is about 30 minutes from Nelson Bay by car, also per Visit NSW. By public transport, Bucket List Travellers took the train to Newcastle and the bus on to Nelson Bay; check the current route in the Transport for NSW trip planner.

Without a car for the day. The coach day trips from Sydney leave Central Station at 6:45am and take about 12 hours, with a dolphin cruise, the koala sanctuary and the dunes. Lunch isn’t included. See how a day tour booking works before you pick a date.

Getting around. A car makes the area much easier. Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay, Anna Bay and One Mile are spread around the peninsula, and the dune tours start from car parks in Anna Bay. The dune and cruise operators don’t pick up from hotels unless the listing says so.

When to go. Dolphins are in the bay year round. Humpbacks pass from May to November. Summer brings warm water and hot dune sand; winter brings whales, cold boat decks and cool sand. School holidays are when Port Stephens Tourism warns that cruises and Irukandji sell out.

How long to stay. One full day covers a cruise, the dunes and one lookout. Two days let you add Tomaree Head, the koala sanctuary and a beach without rushing. Bucket List Travellers filmed a weekend, and The Roving Balys three days.

If you only have one day in Port Stephens

With a car, staying in or near Nelson Bay:

1. Morning: a dolphin cruise from d’Albora Marina. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early for Moonshadow, or 15 minutes for Imagine. In whale season, swap in a 2.5 to 3 hour whale cruise.
2. Lunch in Nelson Bay. The marina cafes are a few minutes’ walk from Dock C.
3. Afternoon: the Stockton dunes at Anna Bay. A one or two hour sandboarding or 4WD tour from the Anna Bay car parks.
4. Late afternoon: Gan Gan Hill Lookout on the way back, or Tomaree Head if you still have legs for a steep climb.

Without a car, from Sydney, the coach day trip does a version of the same day in about 12 hours. It swaps the lookout for the koala sanctuary, and the drive takes about 6 hours of it.

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